Automatic piano.



W. D. WAMSLEY, AUTOMATIC PIANO.

Patented. Apr. 2, 19H8. 2 SHEETS-SHEET] W. D. WAIVISLEY. AUTOMATIC PIANO.

- x APPLICATIQN FILED DEC. 30. I9l6. lg@

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

softly.

i sterne nii-tireur ernten WAYNE D. IVAMSLEY, F LESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TG LESTER PIANO COMPANY, A COJRPQRJTION GF PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC PIAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1915.

Application filed December 3G, 1916. Serial No. 139,874.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, l/iiirnn D. lfViiMsL-ni', a citizen of the United States, residing at Lester, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain improvements in Automatic Pianos, of which the following is a specification. j

This invention relates to automatic pianos operated pneumatically and its primary purpose is to prevent the application of excessive `"acuum to the operation of the player action and to obtain tones of proper modulation.

lu the operation of pneumatic pianos, different notes or chords require for their production the admission of different amounts of air, and in the use of a constant speed motor, particularly, there has been heretofore excessive pneumatic actionywith a resulting toc loud sonni-when it is desired to play ln another condition, where 'the power applied is properly regulated to produce certain sounds by means of an appro priate vacuum, this vacuum is insuflicient to properly produce certain other sounds.

An object of my invention is to control the pneumatic connections of the manually and mechanically or electrically operated motors with which automatic pianos are equipped so that the piano can be played by either in the desired manner without interference by the other. j

The characteristic features of my improvements will be fully understood vfrom the following description and the accompanying drawings of a piano embodying the same.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a part sectional front elevation of a piano embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a part sectional plan view of' valve mechanism for modifying the odset of the constant speed motor and securing the desired eifect from the action of the manually operated pedal mechanism; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 2; and Fie. 4 is a diagrammatic view of mechanism embodying the invention.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the piano 1 is equipped with an electric motor Q'having a pulley B which is connected with a wheel 4 and a crank shaft 5 by a belt 6, the latter being kept under proper tension by a tightener 7 The crank shaft 5 actsthrough the pitmen or connecting roc s 8 and 9 upon the rcspective pumps 10 and 11 which are cennected with and exhaust a conduit rthe conduit 1Q is connected with a valve bor; 13 which is provided with a port 14 adapted to communicate with the atmosphere under control of a valve 15 and with a port 16 adapted to communicate with the conduit 17 under control of the valve 18.

The valve 15 is held closed normally, so as to open at the desired adjustable pressure, by a spring 1f) connected with the valve stem 20 by au adjustable thumb nut 21. 'The valve 1S is also held closed, normally, so as to open at the desired adjustable pressure, by a lever movably supported by the bolts 23 and Q4 together with the spring 25, which is adjustable by the bolt 24.

The conduit 17 connects the interior of the valve box 13 with the interior of the vacuum chamber or chest Q6.

The pedals 27, connected by links 28 and Z9 with the pumps 30, coact with springs 31 in operating these pumps, which are provided with the valves 32 and 33, for controlling therespective ports 34 and 35, the latter being connected with the vacuum chest 25, whereby the latter is exhausted.

The chest 2G is connected by a conduit 35 with a conduit 37 through the ports 38 controlled by a valve 39 which is operated by the pneumatic governor 40. The conduit 37 is connected with the valve box 41 and this box is connected with the conduit 4-2 which has the branch 43 of Jinected with the chamber 44 of a box 45. The box 45 contains a chamber 46 which communicates with the chamber 44 through a port 47 controlled by a valve 48, with the atmosphere through a port 49 controlled by a valve 50, and with a bellows 51 through a port 52, the bellows operating the action or striking mechanism 53. A diaphragm 54 separates the chamber 44 from a chamber 55 and is connected with the valve 48 through the stem 56. The chamber 55 is connected by a duct 57 with a port 58 which communicates with the atmosphere under control of the valve 59 and with a chamber 60 under control of a valve G1, these valves being connected by a stem 62 and with a diaphragm 63 which separates the chamber 6() from the chamber 64.

The conduit 42 is connected with the chamber by a port 55, the chamber 60 is connected with the chamber Gd by a restricted passage GG, and the chamber 611- is connected by the conduit G7 with the tracker bar (3S containing the openings G9 over which passes the perforated music sheet 70.

1n operation, the motor E2 acts through the parts. 3, t3, 4t, 8, and 9 to operate the pumps 10 and 11 which exhaust the conduit 12 and the box 13. The valves 15 and 18 are set so that the former will open only under a vacuum that is in excess of that desired i'or the operation, and the latter will open freely, under all normal operations ot the pumps 10 and 11, to exhaust the Vacuum chest 26 through the conduit 17. But when the pedals 27 are used to etll'ect the operation ont the pumps and exhaust the chest 26, the pumps 10 and 11 being inactive, the valve 1S is held closed and disconnects the conduit 17 and chest from the box 13, conduit 1Q and pumps 10 and 11.

Therefore the desired vacuum can be obtained by operating the pedals, without the modifying influence ot the pneumatic mechanism :tor operation by the motor, and the constant exhausting action et the operating motor pumps cannot produce an excessive vacuum because of the automatic opening et the relief valve 15.

The 1vacuum in the chest 26 acts in a known manner, through the conduit 36, ports 3S under control of the automatic valve 39, governor pneumatic -lO, conduit 37, box all, conduit e172, chamber 411, chamber GO, passage 66, chamber Gai, conduit 67 and tracker bar 68, and also through the passage 57 and in chamber 55, the valves t8 and 59 being closed when the sheet 70 closes the tracker bar opening 69.

When the aperture 69 ol'l the tracker bar registers with a perforation in the music sheet 70, there is a rush of air through the conduit 67 to chamber G-t and the diaphragm G3 .is elevated, causing the Valve 61 fr@ @senese vacuum chamber da with the chamber L16,V

thus closing the Valve 50 which is fixed to the faire -S. This chamber, with the bellows 51 connected therewith through the port 52, is exhausted and the bellows collapsed to operate the action 5,3.

It will be evident that, ir" an excessively high vacuum has been produced, a blow that should be light is struck with too great torce by the too sudden collapse ot the pneumatic 51. But the relief mechanism described prevents the production of the undesired excessive vacuum, aswell as facilitating the production of the desired Vacuum by the manual operation ot the mechanism when the motor is inactive.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an automatic piano, the combination with a pneumatic system, a manually actuated pump for exhausting` said system, a motor operated pump for exhausting' said system, a check valve in said system between said pumps, and a relief valve in said system between said check Valve and said motor operated pump.

In an automatic piano, the combination oit a. pneumatic system comprising a vacuum chamber, a manually operated pump adapted for exhausting 'said chamber, a motor operated pump adapted for exhausting said chamber, and a relief Valve for p limiting` the exhausting action of said motor operated pump on said chamber.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set 35 my name this 28th day ot December, 1916.

VAYNE D. VAMSLEY.

Copies 4of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

